10. PRSR 01-09-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Center for Community Committee Minutes of Meeting on Thursday, October 25, 2001, 4:00 p.m. Elk River City Hall, Elk River, Minnesota Present: Michelle Berg, Suzanne Kostanshek, Sara Hartman, Barb Kreuser, Louise Kuester, Nancy Gongoll, Jim Boyle, Sharon Tracy, John Fitzgerald, Harvey Schroeder, Pat Klaers, Sara Hartman, Darlene Solberg, Tony Darkenwald The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by Don Heinzman. The minutes of the last meeting on September 27, 2001 were approved as printed. Family/Art Center Update: The committee is planning site visits to gain consensus on the building construction vision, then select the architect. Cliff Lundberg suggested that we contact ArtSpace, who has already done one concept for the Elk River area. The arts organizations have merged and the capital campaign committee is selecting a consultant. Little Theatre guidelines: Sharon Tracy reported that the committee to establish guidelines for community use of the Little Theatre and the new auditorium met. Charlie Blesener is chair, other members include: Julian Opificius, 3 Rivers Community Theatre, Paul Motin, City Council, Louise Kuester, City Council, Jim Voight, ERAHS Principal, John Barth, #728 Activities Director, Pauline Knox, #728 Scheduling Coordinator, Sharon Tracy, Elk River Area Arts Council. They have created a template to help minimize time needed in the auditorium. They also are creating a list of Elk River not-for-profit organizations to help establish priority users who can use the theatre rent-free. There will be minimal fees for lights and sound and extra maintenance staff. It was noted that the current schedule for the Little Theatre, which begins in the Spring, is snug. The new guidelines are planned to be completed in November. Community Gathering Space: A discussion ensued to gain a consensus on our definition of community gathering space priority needs. It was agreed that the three current projects, the YMCA, the Family/Art Center with community atrium, and the Lions addition and band shell all address needs of different cross sections of the community. Duplication of services and space in some areas may also occur without coordination. Youth Summit: Don reported that the committee to explore a youth summit met last month. They expressed a concern about holding an event that may not be productive. Committee members expressed concerns about frequently polling our young people and then not following through on their recommendations. It was noted that our school district students participated in a lengthy survey by Search Institute sponsored by the Healthy Community Partners committee. Comments about surveying our students for gathering space assessment included: • the facility is not as important as activities offered • various groups or cliques do not mix and will not use the same facility • junior high and senior high students do not tend to mix • the needs of our youth are ever changing • it is our community's experience that once students obtain their drivers license, they tend to leave the area for activities • currently, live music seems to fill a nitch for some youth • youth are not apt to stay after school for activities (except sports) • intramural basketball, skiing, music and theatre are currently popular activities • the Boys & Girls Club currently serves mostly elementary age youth. They hope to expand to high school age as weather changes, and as current users become older. They are not open on Saturdays, due to lack of funding. • High school youth need drop-in center(s) • There are unsupervised older elementary youth who may not want an environment with rules • Possible activities to expand on are roller rink, intramural bowling, and theatre. • The Y may be more of a family space than a teen space. The next meeting will be Thursday,November 29,2001 at 4:00 p.m.at the Elk River City Hall. The meeting adjourned at approximately 5:30 p.m.